Recently, the Internet based on TCP/IP (Telecommunications Protocol Internet Protocol) has rapidly been prevailing. There have been built various types of information providing systems. Each of them provides information from an information server via WWW (World Wide Web), a global information communications system.
For printing out a desired one of images available on the Internet, an image file including the image is acquired as digital data to a personal computer or the like, the digital data in the acquired image file is converted into raster data, printing raw data including a printer control code written in a predetermined format and to which a printer used with the personal computer is generated from the raster data, and the printing raw data thus generated is sent to the printer.
Although there is a great amount of information provided availably on the Internet, the acquisition of such information is limited to about two methods: viewing via a browser and reception via E-mail (electronic mail), television-related information cannot be acquired by any TV receiver, and CD (compact disk)-related information cannot be acquired by any CD player. Namely, a separate device for access to the Internet is always required in addition to the media inherently used for viewing or acquiring the information, such as the TV receiver, CD player and the like.
The above limited acquisition of the information available on the Internet is very inefficient, and digital data in a content to be printed out will be stored in the personal computer. Namely, the digital information will possibly be copied illegally.
On the other hand, even if the Internet has been prevalent more and more, the information provider, especially, an advertiser or sponsor, could not limit his advertising media to the Internet with ceasing to provide the information via the conventional other media. The advertiser or sponsor should still produce many contents for provision over many media and provide the information via many routes. That is, the Internet is an extra medium add to the conventional media.
Also, since the TV receiver, CD player or the like has no input unit like a keyboard, it is extremely difficult to set user identifiers and passwords necessary when using the Internet, which has been an obstacle for a user wanting to use the Internet.
Further, information provision and sales marketing over the Internet will have an inclination to be weighted for some people able to access the Internet.
On the other hand, to print out a desired one of images available on the Internet, an image file including the image is download to a personal computer or the like and provisionally stored there, and thus digital data in the image file is easily copied illegally.
Accordingly, the present invention has a primary object to overcome the above-mentioned drawbacks of the related art by enabling an information device without any complicated input unit to acquire information from on the Internet for utilization thereof and also an information provider to provide information without so much awareness of the type of a device used by a user who acquires information (which will be referred to as “information acquirer” or, “information-provided user” hereinafter wherever appropriate) to acquire the information.
The present invention has also a secondary object to provide a method, system and apparatus, destined for providing information with the capability of preventing illegal copy of images and the like availably existent on the Internet.